What is wrong with nuclear power?! Many environmentalists are strongly against nuclear power because there is a belief that every nuclear power plant is bound to go Three Mile Island on our asses and we’ll all either die or turn into mutant freaks. But this doesn’t make any sense. There have only ever been two meltdowns in history, Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. And this is among 436 active nuclear power plants in 31 countries, who have been producing power for the combined equivalent of about 14,000 years. Those are pretty good odds.
I consider myself a left-wing nut job and an environmental activist, and as such I am compelled to support nuclear power. Nuclear reactions themselves don’t produce CO2. In fact, the reaction that produces the electricity emits no greenhouse gasses whatsoever. The only waste is the spent fuel rods, which can be disposed of safely. This is the best argument I can think of for nuclear power. It is not as clean as wind or solar, but it pumps out a lot more electricity. However, it is much cleaner than coal or gas yet produces comparable amounts of energy. Nuclear power is safe and clean.
As an environmentalist, I support nuclear energy. While it has its flaws and an ideal world would be powered solely by wind and solar energy, nuclear power is practical and it is a much better alternative than our current dependence on atrociously dirty coal and gas plants. Like I said, nuclear is surprisingly safe and clean, and I think we need to demand a switch.
